Thoughts of the Deceased
by S. A. Morley
Summary: Rundas, incarcerated within the being of Dark Samus, ponders what he did in his life around his battle wounds... and who he damaged when Corrupted. The story continues as he is joined by fellow, fallen Bounty Hunters. Sequel to Corruption, both the game AND the story.
1. Thinking in the Dark

**Well, I got a flash from the past and glanced over this story again, and was suddenly walloped by the realization that I should edit it. It may be the original, but after reading it again, I found it to be pretty poorly-written. And I want it to be the best it can be! **

** So, with that, I began editing it around. It's A TON better than before, and I hope that I can improve it nicely. This is what I got! I'm starting to like this a little more. **

** Thank ya much!**

It is very dark here.

I sat in an endless fathom of whispering shadows, and no matter where I turned, all I saw was black. I felt as if I should be asleep, but, I couldn't find the exhaustion to drive me to it. My eyes stayed open to the darkness that had swallowed me whole...

It is very quiet here.

I heard nothing but my guilt-ridden and lonesome breathing, and even _that_ is faltering as the time passes. My thoughts were stiff and stripped of everything but remorse over my past doings. The blistering memories of my attack on Samus pound into my head like an unforgiving drill...

It is very lonely here.

I had no company in this mind-crushing prison. I sat alone, haplessly watching the darkness as it drifted around me. My only companion, really, was the occasional gust of the frigid, deathly wind that passed through me as easily as if I were empty...

And as I sit here without a purpose, I'm beginning to think I _am _empty.

Empty of all the emotions I held on my sleeve as a Bounty Hunter - competitiveness, earnestness, excitement, joy, and even... infatuation. But those have all vanished. All that drifts through my shell of a body now, is regret. Deep-reaching regret that has punctured me to my very soul... the soul that aches within this prison.

Wallowing in sorrow, I tried to cope with the pain that wracks my body. Some of my bones had been smashed when I was impaled on Bryyo. The blood that flows from my shoulders, my face, and beneath my throat, freezes in the wind against my body. My blood runs freely.

I am pale in the darkness, I just know.

It's quite uncommon for Phrygisians of my culture to shiver, and yet, here I am, quaking in the dark, curled into a ball. My blood is gradually freezing in my veins, and all I can do is consider the options that I don't have, and just how useless I am.

I failed my mission.

I failed my ancestry, my occupation, and most of all... I failed Samus Aran.

Why had I made such a foolish decision? Why did I jeopardize all that I held dear, and the one girl in the universe that had captured my attention?

Why did I lose you?

_Poor Samus... _I mourned. _What have I caused? How much did I hurt you?_

_ ...What are you going through right now, because of me?_

The memories were brutal as they flashed inside of mind. The image of the horrific spirit that had overcome me, the insanity I was exuding, and Samus's look of betrayal - each of them were like hand to the throat.

Why had I made such a foolish decision?

But, come to think of it...

Did I have a choice?

**Eh? Better? I certainly hope so! I tried to give Rundas more remorse and more of a voice, so yeah! Let's hope I can flesh this story out more! :) (EDITED!)**


	2. Chapter 2: Ghor

Ghor joined me the other day, all shattered and broken. His body was completely thrashed, and his giant robotic suit was missing.

"What happened to you?" I asked as his left eye sparked, ending his sight in that socket.

"I... hurt... Samus... I can't believe I did that..." he spoke the words hoarsely and hung his head as he sat. "I told her that she would be corrupted, and that this power was great... But then we started to fight... And then..." he trailed off, trying to remember something.

"Dark Samus. She took us," I said, staring around the black. "we're trapped inside her right now." I reached forward, placing my hand on his shoulder and changing subject. "She beat you up pretty bad, didn't she?"

He looked up at me. "I'd say you're worse!" Ghor gestured towards my gushing wounds. "My injuries probably don't hurt as bad as yours!"

I shrugged. "It's just a few scars. Besides, I deserved it." I sighed, placing my hand on my face, blood covering my fingers as it ran endlessly. "I wasn't in control of what I was doing, almost like I was being manipulated."

Ghor seemed deep in thought. "That's interesting... I wasn't. I knew what I was doing. Like throwing Samus's ship at her and yelling, 'Catch!'"

"Well so did I," I paused, staring at him. "You threw her ship at her? What kind of jerk are you?"

He laughed, which brightened my spirits a bit as well. "Hey! I was corrupted, and crazy, so it's not like I would do that to her if I were normal!" We both laughed for a few moments, stopping as the sorrow of this place kicked in again.

"What are we going to do, Rundas? I mean, are we dead or not?" Ghor asked, glancing around the inky black that sat silently around us. "If we are, then why aren't we... you know..."

"In Heaven or Hell?" I finished, thinking about human beliefs of the afterlife. "I'm not sure... Maybe because we were _so_ bad... _this_ is our punishment. I'm not sure if it's good or not."

"I think it sucks," Ghor complained, standing up. "Is there anything else around here than just black?"

I stood as well, looking around. "I don't think so, but it's worth a shot just exploring. What else is there to do here, anyway?"

"I agree. Let's go." Ghor nodded and started limping. I noticed his right leg was badly split.

"Here, let me help," I said, letting the robot place his arm around my broad shoulders, enabling him to walk a little better.

"Why are you so nice all of a sudden?" Ghor asked as we padded along the darkness. "You were the most big headed, cocky snot I'd ever seen before." He looked at me.

I chuckled because now I realize those labels were true. "Maybe this place is doing me some good. I feel... different somehow... from when I was out in the real world."

Ghor smiled. "That's great, Rundas. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if we ever got out of this place."

I was slightly puzzled. "Why do you say that?"

"If Samus ever defeated Dark Samus... Wouldn't we be free of her? Aren't we inside her right now?"

I nodded. "Seems logical. But if we never leave, we'll have fun with whatever happens, right?"

He smiled again. "Of course."


	3. Chapter 3: Gandrayda

Ghor and I walked alongside each other for a few minutes, searching for anything besides the charcoal surroundings. We traveled a great distance it seemed before we saw small, flurries of light blue, which glowed bright against the blackness.

"Are these Phazon?" Ghor thought aloud, touching one with a dented finger. There was a fizzing sound once he poked it, and he took his arm back. "Ouch! Yeah, those are Phazon all right."

I looked around. "I wonder what Dark Samus is doing right now. Does she even know that we're still conscious?"

He shook his head. "I have no clue. But who cares! Dark Samus is a-"

I cut him off. "Don't swear."

"What? I was just going to say she was a greedy parasite," I laughed, he did too. "It's true!"

"I know it is. But, why do you think she absorbed us, Ghor?"

He didn't respond for a few moments, but then said after I looked towards him, "Maybe for personal gain? To get stronger? I will never understand the mind of a Phazon being."

I considered this. "Could be. But what about us would make her more powerful?"

"Our abilities? Though, I'm not sure how she would use _my_ gifts for her plans. Merging with machines isn't something I think that Dark Samus would use.

"A strange predicament we're in the middle of, Rundas. Very strange." Ghor continued to hold his grip over my shoulder as he hopped next to me, thinking.

"What was your battle like, Ghor?" I asked him. "What happened?"

He sighed. "Samus found me beating up her ship, and came to where I was. After small conversation, we began fighting. She was becoming more corrupt, you could see it in her suit. Blue Phazon was all over her, and her Hyper Mode was vicious. She broke my shield several times, and damaged my larger body." I listened intently, picturing the entire clash in my mind. "When she was finished with me, my suit curled in on itself, blowing up. Which caused all these wounds to my real body. Then," he swallowed, a pained look on his face. "Dark Samus came, and took me. Samus tried to stop her, but failed, and I was lost from the real world. After that, I woke up in here, and then found you." Ghor looked up at me. "Would you mind if I asked you what happened?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. Before our battle, Dark Samus found me, and... I think she possessed me." I felt Ghor shift around, uncomfortably. "She was inside my body, and told me what to do. I couldn't decline or refuse to follow her orders. Then I found Samus, and she thought I was normal. I came across her path once more, and then... We fought. She looked like she didn't want to hurt me. Hesitant, remorseful, unwilling. But, since I was attacking her, she had no choice. She went back and forth between Hyper Modes, stunning me and ripping off my ice armor. After several rounds of tearing and shooting, I was floored. On the ground, sparking, and utterly pleading for the agony to be relieved. She came forward, a sad look on her face behind her visor. Then, without me controlling it, four sharp, thick ice pillars shot up from below me, impaling me four times," Ghor gasped, his working eye going wide. "Then, as with you, Dark Samus absorbed me, and I've been here ever since." I felt a dull pain in my heart, like it was broken. Literally.

"Wow," Ghor gawked. "what kind of messed up lives we live."

"_Lived_," I corrected. Though considering the circumstances, we might have been classified as alive still.

Ghor gasped again, leaning forward. "Do you see that?"

I followed his gaze. "What? See what?"

He reached up and grabbed my face, forcing it forward. "It's Gandrayda!!"

"She's here, too? This is quite a reunion!" I said as Ghor let his arm slide off my shoulder. He ran forward despite his split leg, grunting whenever he stepped on it. I shook off my confusion and followed him to the crumpled purple figure on the ground.

Gandrayda was lying on her stomach, with her face hidden under her arms. She was sobbing, with jagged, bleeding scars covering her body. She bled neon indigo.

Ghor kneeled next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Gandrayda? Are you all right?" he said soothingly, yet his tone was slightly strained.

She shook her head, moaning in a thick voice, "You're not real, nothing is real!" she continued to cry.

I kneeled on her other side, setting my hand on her back. She went rigid. "Gandrayda, it's us. Rundas and Ghor," I rubbed her wounded shoulder blades softly, feeling how slick it was with blood.

This time she looked up, face wet. Her purple eyes widened. "You're not dead?" she rushed up and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer to me. "Rundas, I'm scared," she whispered, her tears froze against my armor from the cold.

I put my arm around her as well, feeling pity for her. "I know, Gandrayda. I know, we all are." She used to be so bold and confident. Now she was terrified and frail.

Gandrayda pulled away, but still kept her hands on me. "What happened? Where are we?" Her purple eyes were swimming and pleading.

"You were absorbed by Dark Samus, as we were," Ghor said, the girl looking to him as well. "now we're trapped inside her."

Gandrayda's jaw dropped. "Are you guys serious?" The robot and I nodded. "What are we going to do? Samus is out there fighting what I couldn't!"

I stared. "What do you mean, '_I couldn't_'?"

She started to shiver. "I lost the battle with Phazon. I let myself be corrupted. I'm the weakest person ever!!" Gandrayda broke into more sobs, burying her face into my shoulder.

"We all failed, Gandrayda, it wasn't only you," Ghor said, looking sadly down at his damaged body. "and I fear our losses will backfire on Samus horribly."

I patted Gandrayda's back again when she cried harder. "It's all right, there was nothing you could do anyway. We were more powerful than we thought we were, and couldn't take what we did to ourselves."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. Didn't you hear me? _I let myself be corrupted!_ _I needed the power that Phazon gave me! I wanted to be... be..."_ Gandrayda stuttered as she struggled to confess to us.

"Be what?" Ghor and I asked at the same time. She faced us both.

"_Better than Samus!!" _she shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. "_I was so jealous of her from the day we met that I had to be on top! I had to be stronger! I had to be the number one bounty hunter in the entire galaxy!"_

Gandrayda's chest rose and fell rapidly as she gasped from crying. Eventually she calmed down slightly, and was able to say the rest without rushing. "It was my pride of becoming the best that blinded me of what I was becoming. Ruthless, unhappy... _Evil..."_

Ghor and I stared, mouths agape at her story. "Is that all true?" Ghor asked.

Gandrayda made a face. "Of course it's true, metal head! Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Well you do have a reputation of being immature and childish..." I mumbled.

She frowned. "What does that have to do with pouring my heart out to you guys?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just didn't want to see you cry anymore. I wanted to lighten the atmosphere."

Gandrayda looked surprised. "Really? You didn't-" her expression disappeared. "Oh so now you're being all concerned because Sammy's not here? Gosh, why did I even think that you cared?" she shoved herself away from my grasp, stomping off and muttering words that I don't want to repeat.

I looked at Ghor, who was as confused as I was. "Women. Who can figure them?"

I snorted. "Got that right. Hey Gandrayda, wait up!!" We both stood up and followed after her.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape Attempts

"There has to be some way we can get out of here!! I don't want to be stuck in this stupid place forever!!" Gandrayda complained, shooting electricity around her in an attempt to escape. She growled when nothing changed.

Ghor and I had been dashing after her for some time. "We've already tried attacking. There's just no-" I said.

"Shut up, Rundas! We must find a way!" she ran off again, hurling an electric disk that whizzed through the black. She screamed in frustration when it came back and everything was the same.

Ghor was panting. "I hate having this injured leg. I can hardly do anything! More or less chase her all day!" he breathed.

"Speaking of days, how long have we been here?" I asked, watching Gandrayda thudding her feet around hard, grunting and cursing.

He brought up his arm and stared at it. "My internal calendar says about three weeks. But I can't be sure, this thing's gone faulty ever since I was absorbed." he flicked the glass screen and shook his head.

I looked after Gandrayda again, chuckling. She had morphed herself into a Berserker Lord and was throwing large, purple bubbles upwards. Then she jumped up and down heavily, roared, and gave up, transforming back into her regular self again.

"Is she ever going to realize that we can't get out? We've been here so long and she's still trying." I sighed, remembering when I first met Gandrayda, how much of a hot head she was.

Ghor exclaimed, "Stop it, Gandayda, you're making me sick!! I can't stand watching you anymore!!"

She didn't turn around, but called back, "Well too bad! If you don't like it, go do something else!"

He sped forward, bellowing angrily. Then he tackled Gandrayda, who cried out in surprise when they made contact. The two of them rolled on the ground, kicking and punching. I face-palmed. These guys would be the death of me. "Hey, break it up! We've all just gotten a little bit of cabin fever!" I went over to the writhing pair, grabbing Ghor by his shoulder and Gandrayda by the spikes on her head.

I held them both away from each other. "You're both acting like children, when we should be thinking of a way to get out!"

Gandrayda sneered. "You're one to talk, Rundas. You said it yourself! We can't get out of here and we're never going to!"

"Yeah! You gave up a couple of days ago!" Ghor said, prying his head out of my clutches. He landed on the floor with a clank.

Gandrayda folded her arms. "Do you have any ideas? I don't see you trying to break free."

I thought, sighing. "No, I don't."

"Really? Well in that case, let go! You're hurting me!" she kicked her feet and made me drop her.

The three of us stood silently, all a little speechless for some reason. "I'm sorry that we got into this mess, guys." I muttered.

"Why are you saying sorry? It wasn't your fault," Ghor said.

"But I feel like it is. I don't understand why I'm so guilty..." I held one my wounded shoulders, remembering being impaled. The memory would scar me for as long as I existed. The pain, the bleeding, being taken, and then Samus's face. I missed her so much...

"Listen, Rundas," Ghor said. "none of this is your fault. But to tell the truth, I'm not sure who's it is. It doesn't matter, though. It only matters that we're still alive, despite all that we've gone through, right?"

I looked at him. "I suppose. But how are we 'alive' in a sense when we're rotting away in this dark pit?" I glanced around. Anger boiled in my chest, and I screamed towards the black, _"Why have we received this punishment, Dark Samus?! What did we do to you?!"_

I fell to my knees, shaking. "What did we do wrong?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Heart of the Dark

I laid down on the ground, lightly dozing. Gandrayda was next to me, her head resting on my arm. It had been a very slow and boring day, causing us all to either fall asleep or sit somewhere in apathy.

Ghor I didn't know of his whereabouts, nor did I want to. I had become sluggish lately, and was less likely to move. Some days, all I did was slept. Ghor considered my exhaustion to be caused from all the blood loss.

"But why doesn't Gandrayda have this problem?" I had asked him, staring at my blood crusted armor.

"Her cuts aren't as deep as yours. Your body was completely sliced through, remember?" he responded, pointing towards the holes in my shoulders, face, and chest. "I'd love to help heal you, but I don't have the proper mechanics. Plus, the ones that I do carry with me were severely damaged beyond repair."

_Perfect_, I thought. _just perfect._

I did however have very pleasant dreams. In one of them, I was soaring above Bryyo's thorn jungles, an ice path trailing below my feet. In another, I saw my old friends on my home planet of Phrygis, all of them older and delighted to see me. In the latest one, I got to imagine Samus without her suit on, a lovely smile on her beautiful face. I couldn't though, picture how she looked. I could only _visualize _she was grinning. That dream ended a little sadly, for I had not gotten to see Samus in her true gorgeousness.

Someone shook me roughly, rousing me from my thoughts. "Rundas! Rundas wake up! You have to see this!"

I moaned. "No... Leave me alone..."

The person shaking me continued, and someone else arose and began kicking my side violently. "Let's go, lazy! We found something!" Gandrayda hollered.

I pried open my eyes and glared at the girl who was assaulting me with the toe of her foot. "You're a pain in the neck, you know that?" I sat up, Ghor at my side. "What is it?"

"You have to come see! This is remarkable!" he made me stand and follow him as he ran, Gandrayda at my heels.

"Where are you taking me, Ghor?" I asked impatiently as we rushed. "Is it _that_ important?"

"It's extraordinarily important, Rundas. I think you could stand to miss a bit of sleeping for it," he replied in a winded tone. I bet his leg was still bothering him.

I shook my head, grunting, "Whatever."

Ghor led us to an area who's floor was Phazon blue. Slicing through the walls on either side were blue branch like things that crookedly stretched upwards. The cold air reeked of Phazon, and more of the small Phazon bubbles floated around.

Inside the room was absolutely nothing. Except for the center of it seemed to be moving, and glowed light cyan.

"What is this place?" I asked, stepping inside and looking around.

Ghor walked to the middle of the area, staring at the writhing floor. "I'm not entirely sure. But I knew it was important for some reason. If it wasn't, why would Dark Samus harbor it?"

"Come here, you two!" Gandrayda called from the other end of the room. Ghor and I obeyed, joining her at the far wall. "What do you think these are?" she pointed towards the jagged branch like things, a pondering look on her face.

"They look like veins," I said, reaching forward and touching one. It pulsed under my hand.

Ghor snapped his fingers. "Of course! This is Dark Samus's central nervous system! Why didn't I see it before?"

He turned away from us and motioned towards the jerking floor. "That must be her heart!"

I was puzzled. "Her heart? Looks like a dancing floor to me," I went over to Ghor, with Gandrayda still next to me. "what do you suppose we do with our new discovery?"

Ghor placed a hand on his chin. "We could try shooting it, stomping on it... I'm not sure, maybe we'd do more damage than what is good..."

Gandrayda laughed once. "What do I care? She's a f-"

"Don't swear!!" I shouted before she had time to cuss. "I already told Ghor this. Do I have to tell you too? Man, you two have dirty mouths!"

She stared at me funny, but Ghor just shook his head. "Don't worry, he's just got a strange knack about swearing. Why do you dislike it, Rundas?"

"What do you think? Those humans- it's all that comes out of their mouths! Admiral Dane was one of the worst cussers I'd ever seen! Besides, we're not human, so why should we act like them?"

Gandrayda considered this. "That's true," she scrunched her nose, thinking. Then she looked towards Ghor. "So, you were saying?"

"Anyway... I'll go first, see what happens." Ghor aimed his plasma cannon at the squirming blue ground. Gandrayda and I tensed, eager to see what he would do to it.

Ghor fired a bright red blast at the ground. The blue absorbed it, and the area around us shuddered.

I screamed, clutching my chest and falling to the shaking floor. Blue blood ran more than usual as the agony increased. A moan echoed around the room.

"Rundas!"


	6. Chapter 6: Linked

Ghor and Gandrayda came to my aid, both had shocked looks on their faces. They kept repeating my name, with the robot trying to slow my gushing wounds. The girl held my face in her hands, desperately asking me questions: "Are you okay?", "What's wrong?", "What's happening to him?"

I couldn't move, throbbing, aching pain stabbed at my own heart. I gasped and choked, more blood spurting from me as my throat squeezed itself shut and then reopened.

Ghor placed his hand on my chest and laid me on my back, examining the holes in my torso. "Rundas? Can you hear me?"

I couldn't speak, so I weakly nodded. He and Gandrayda seemed relieved, and both their shoulders tensed less.

The pain was starting to subside now, and I was able to breathe regularly again. The ground beneath us was easing up on shaking, which made me less dizzy. I coughed more, blood dribbling down my chin.

"Oh my gosh! Is that bad?" Gandrayda panicked to Ghor.

He squinted at her, making a face. "Obviously!" he returned his gaze to me as I heaved in breaths. "How do you feel?"

I sighed, which tingled. "Painfully tired,"

Ghor was tracing around the scars on me, he looked deeply concerned. "Hm... Your blood loss has gotten worse..."

I chuckled. "_Obviously,_"

Ghor shot me a glare. "I wonder what caused this..."

"Well, he _did_ suddenly get all hurt and stuff when you hit Dark Samus's heart," Gandrayda mentioned, wiping away the gore that was dripping all over my limbs. "Do you have some sort of tie with Dark Samus or what, Rundas?"

An expression of realization plastered Ghor's face. "Maybe since when she was inside you-"

"Dark Samus was what?!" she exclaimed, eyes growing wide. "That's not right!!"

"Gandrayda, please! Your obnoxious blabbing made me lose my train of thought!!" Ghor shouted, glaring darkly.

"Hmph!" she shocked the robot with purple electricity, causing him to twitch.

"Ouch!" he extended his plasma cannon at her.

I sighed heavily. "You guys are being stupid again! What were you going to say, Ghor?" I demanded.

He pried his gaze from Gandrayda and down to me. "Before I was _interrupted_," he slitted his eyes towards her. She sneered. "I was going to say that when Dark Samus possessed you, your souls were possibly linked. And now that _you're_ inside _her, _the link still holds. So whenever we hurt her, you're hurt as well."

Gandrayda whistled. "Wow, that's confusing."

I exhaled. "You're telling me," I slowly rose to my feet, stumbling a bit. Ghor was right by my side ready to catch me if I fell. "Let's leave this place. I don't like it." The two of them obeyed and we all left Dark Samus's central nervous system together.


	7. Chapter 7: Helpless and Watching

"Go fish?"

"Nah,"

"Besides, we don't even have cards."

"Hide and Seek?"

"No. Where would we hide anyway?"

Thoughtful silence.

"Hm... Oh I got it! Tag!"

"Seriously?"

"It was just a suggestion, no need to get all huffy at me for it."

Sigh.

The three of us sat in a circle, naming off things to do. We had lost track of how long we had been prisoners here, and ran out of activities to keep us occupied. We had considered exploring more, but we found nothing. _Sleep_ was even becoming boring, at which I surprised myself.

I held my head in my hands, staring blankly past Ghor's shoulder and into the inky black. My mind was becoming a cell in which I was trapped. The times I was ever set free of my self-induced captivity was when I communicated with Ghor and Gandrayda. Though, my fellow bounty hunters seemed to be becoming locked in on themselves as well.

"I wonder if I could kill myself..." Ghor muttered, breaking the mute. "Would death be worse than this?"

"Death sounds inviting." Gandrayda said in monotony, her eyelids drooping. "It's probably better than being sealed inside some psychotic alien."

"You don't see that every day," I chuckled a few times, and my friends did as well. It lightened the blandness of the situation slightly. "But then again our lives are pretty much wrecks."

"Got that right, Rundas." Gandrayda said, her eyes fully closing. She caught herself snoozing and yawned widely, stretching her arms out. Her bones popped at the sudden extension. "I'm tired."

"Aren't we all?" Ghor said numbly as he laid down on his back. He folded his arms over his chest. "I don't think I've ever been this exhausted before."

"Is it because we're dead bored or that we're disappearing from existence?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

I felt something come over me, a sensation like I was flying. The black in front of me dissolved, and I saw a battlefield.

There were blue tentacles of Phazon all around, combined with a dark sky that glittered only by stars. A voice in my head spoke, "_Ah, Samus._.."

Below, on the Phazon covered ground, was indeed the familiar bounty hunter. She was glowing with Phazon, her suit streaming bright blue. Samus seemed to be having trouble standing, and her shoulders were hunched as she stared towards where I was.

I touched the ground, hearing maniac laughter that was strangely close. Samus pointed her gun towards me. I lifted my hand, only to see that it wasn't my own. Black armor that covered slim hands and strong arms was what appeared. The fist clenched, Phazon haze hovering around it. The other arm that was mainly a weapon was raised at Samus as well.

I jerked back to where I actually was, with Gandrayda and Ghor in a panic. They both had anxious faces, but Gandrayda was shaking me back and forth.

"Rundas! Are you all right?" Ghor asked, waving his hand in front of my face. My sight was a little blurry, but I could make out a few things.

"Did you guys see that?" I responded to a question with a question, but I didn't care. This was important!

They looked confused. "See what?" Gandrayda wondered.

"I saw Samus. But through Dark Samus's eyes. Samus is in danger, she's become more and more corrupted. We have to help her!" by this time I was on my feet, rushing towards a place I couldn't get to.

Gandrayda and Ghor stepped in front of me, holding me back. "Wait, you saw them? Actually them? Fighting?" the robot said, a look of disbelief all over his face.

I nodded. "Yes! We need to help her!" I tried to fight their grip, but they held me strong.

"You said that already. But Rundas, there's nothing we can do! We've been stuck here for who knows how long and we're completely helpless!" Gandrayda explained, but I didn't glance at her. I was too busy searching for an exit.

"No! We're not helpless! We can do something, I know it!" I cried, my voice strained and worrisome. What if Samus ended up here? What would we do then? I couldn't just wait and watch her be beaten.

I shook away Gandrayda and Ghor, hurling ice chunks all around. I made them thick and jagged, but they struck nothing. Landing on the black ground, they shattered into a million fragments.

I hung my head, greatly stressed and disappointed. Ghor appeared next to me, saying softly. "The best thing we can do is to wait."

"But I don't _want_ to wait. She's in trouble. I-" sucking in a breath, I saw flashes of blue and white streak swiftly before my eyes. "augh! Samus!" I grabbed my head, the vision of Dark Samus assaulting my corrupt friend flooding my mind.

I felt my companions hands on my shoulders. "Tell us what you see!" Ghor commanded.

I obeyed, reciting what I was experiencing. "Samus fires Phazon at Dark Samus, but does hardly any damage... ...Dark Samus splits herself into separate beings, running around the arena and concentrating huge Phazon bursts at Samus... ...Dark Samus shoots long energy beams that cause real Samus to scream..." I kept going for the entire battle, my comrades listening as intently as they could to my suffering.

"Dark Samus falls, but returns back to her feet and summons..." I gasped, making Gandrayda and Ghor jump. "an Aurora Unit?! How can this be?!" I remembered the G.F.S. Valhalla's AU had gone missing, and then stolen... "Aurora Unit 313 has been completely corrupted by Dark Samus. Now, the dark hunter is merging with it..." Gandrayda and Ghor went stiff with shock and horror. "it begins to fight Samus with rockets, beams, and head slams... Samus rolls into a ball and evades the landing of heavy duty missiles that explode with red Phazite... ...Aurora Unit 313 sends out duplicates of Dark Samus, which assault Samus aggressively... ...The AU's neck tendon is destroyed, leaving only the head in midair for Samus to attack... ...A purple soft spot is on its back. Samus firing as rapidly and toughly as her beam can manage... ...The Aurora Unit's tendrils sent out huge rays that Samus has to avoid or get burned... ...The AU hurls blue bombs that explode around Samus... ...The bounty hunter keeps firing at the weak spot, the Aurora Unit eventually falling and imploding on itself..."

I stopped, feeling the terrible pain that begins to eat away Dark Samus as she emerges from the broken body of the AU. I fall to my knees again, writhing and screaming in sync with Dark Samus as her suit begins to destroy her, Phazon erupting from it in bright energy spikes. Her limbs are shaking violently. Gandrayda and Ghor can do nothing for me now.

Dark Samus reaches out for Samus, crying in agony and hurt. But she is merely stared at by her opposite, and continues to die.

Dark Samus throws her hand skyward, and explodes in a flash of Phazon.


	8. Chapter 8: Freed

It's still dim. I thought that when Dark Samus was defeated... we would be free.

Guess not.

But, I can still feel myself. I feel like I'm stirring on some sort of warm ground.

Wait. The black was cold.

Something falls with a splat near my head. I sit upright and suck in Phazon musty air. I cough several times, for the change in humidity was drastic.

My surroundings are different. The ground is shaking, like something large is underneath trying to break free. The Phazon jungles and crystals around the battlefield are crumbling and screeching as they fall. Where am I?

I look to my left. Gandrayda and Ghor are waking up as well. The robot groans as he holds his head, eyes widening. Then he screams, "Whoa! What happened?"

Gandrayda was on her knees, then rejoiced, "We're out! Yes!" her face was joyous and her eyes were sparkling. "We did it!"

"But... where are we?" I ask, staring at the shaking place, realization hitting me like a locomotive train. "The planet's blowing up!!" I shriek, Gandrayda face flushing pale from fear.

Ghor stood quickly. "Where's the nearest exit?" he commanded to his arm, where a speaker was attached. Gandrayda and I got to our feet as well. "What?" the robot says in disbelief. "What planet is this?"

"I have no idea, why are you asking me?" the shapeshifter complains.

"Not you, this!" he motions towards his arm.

We gather around him, peeking at the characters printed on the screen of his limb. "Phaaze? What the heck is that?" I wonder aloud.

"This planet is the source of all Phazon, and it's undergoing a serious energy crash from the inside out. We need to leave or we'll be blown up with it!" Ghor panics, searching endlessly for an escape route. He points towards the blue and black sky. "If only we could fly somehow, we'd have a straight shot at space!"

Gandrayda smiles. "I think I can arrange that," she walks a few meters away, with Ghor and I watching. She spreads her arms out above her head, and like magic, her body changes and reforms itself till it's larger than Ghor and I combined. I recognized the thing she morphed into.

"Noxus's ship?" I gawk, seeing the teal, scarab like hull of it, and the curved, katana like claws that curved inward on the front and back. "Why did you turn into his Delano 7?"

A hatch opened till it touched the ground, now acting as a ramp. A message board was inside, and I read what Gandrayda wrote, **"Just shut up and get in the ship, will you?"**

Ghor and I obey, climbing inside. The hatch closed automatically, and the robot and I sat ourselves in some curvy seats. I look to Ghor, smiling. "Well... This is awkward." The ship lurched and we started our ascent.

He chuckled, "Darn right, it is," the space was very cramped and small, despite how large the ship looked from the outside. We were very close to each other. "Another thing that's weird is that this is Gandrayda."

I nodded, shivering. "I don't think I'll get over what's happened lately."

He laughed. "Me neither," then Ghor turned his head to the side, a smile appearing on his face. "Medical supplies! Oh savour!" he reached down, unlocked a drawer, and pulled out a box with a red cross on it. His smile disappeared, perplexity replacing it. "Why does he have human health packs?"

"Remember, this isn't Noxus's real gunship. It's Gandrayda, so whatever she's seen goes into it." I reminded as he shrugged, popping open the lid and removing some bandages and medical ointment.

He started to dab at my wounds, which stung when he did. "Ow! Watch it!" I grunted.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just disinfecting your cuts with antibiotics," he continued, and I had to bear it, though I still squirmed when it hurt. "hold still, Rundas, you're acting like a child." I exhaled in annoyance.

Once my scars were clean, Ghor grabbed some bandages and wrapped my shoulders and chest up tight. He stared at the hole in my face. "How are you still living after an ice spear broke through your brain?"

I poked my temple. "Hey, my brain's higher than in the middle of my face. I just got stabbed between the eyes."

"Yes, but, I'm still confused as to how you're still breathing! I mean, how much blood have you lost recently? Two? Three? Four gallons?" he shook his head and uncapped a bottle that would seal up my injury, so he wouldn't have to put a bandage on my face.

"Maybe I'm just awesome and won't die?" I said triumphantly. "That's a possibility. Plus, Phrygisians bleed slowly." Ghor muttered something I couldn't catch and pulled off the cap, where a brush was attached to the inside. He dipped the feathery end of it into a thick and soapy fluid, pulling it out once it was soaked and painting my wound with it. The stuff tickled, and I felt the gash close itself.

Ghor and I both marveled. "That's cool! Do it again!" I urged. Ghor agreed, rewetting the brush and lifting it out of the bottle.

Suddenly the ship reared to the left sharply, Ghor losing his balance and spilling all of the sealant onto my chest. I shot him a dull look. "Nice." He sheepishly smiled.

The ship jerked again, causing me to fall on top of him. "Gandrayda, what's happening?" I asked, Ghor grunting below me as I pulled myself away from him.

The message board flashed in capital letters, **"THERE'S A WORMHOLE!!! HOLY CRAP, THE GALACTIC FEDERATION'S GETTING SUCKED INTO IT!!!!"**

My head snapped to down to Ghor, who responded, "Follow them! They're probably escaping from Phaaze's destruction range!!"

Gandrayda obeyed, and changed her course to what I guessed was the direction of the wormhole she spoke of. I got off Ghor and sat in my own seat, tightly gripping the sides for life. _Man, where are you, Samus? _I thought.

The ship's internal lights started to flicker, and eventually, Ghor and I were swallowed in black. There were no windows in this vessel, which scared me. I was reminded of how lonely darkness can be, even with comrades close to you.

_Extremely _close to you.

The ship rattled dangerously, and cold started to creep into the warm cockpit. I shivered, feeling as if my innards were being pulled backward and into the chair. We suddenly sped forward, Ghor and I being smashed into the backs of the seats. I couldn't move anything but my eyes as they flicked around blindly.

The sensation abruptly stopped, and the two passengers were thrust forward. The wind got knocked out of me, due to the blow in my stomach from the chair point. The lights came back online, illuminating the cockpit brightly. I wheezed.

Ghor sat upright again, asking Gandrayda, "Well? What happened?"

The reply didn't come back on for a few moments, but she posted on the screen, **"We just got transported through a wormhole!! That was probably the coolest thing I've ever done!!"**

I sighed. Typical of Gandrayda to freak out over something so meager. "Where are we?"

**"I have no idea. Wherever the Galactic Federation is. After all, we're parked right next to them."**

"Can you read the transmissions their receiving? I need to know what happened!" Ghor pleaded, getting out of his seat and pushing buttons on a complicated, blinking console.

**"Careful what you press, Ghor." **Gandrayda cautioned.

He ignored, shifting around instruments of command and pulling levers. Then he touched a screen several times, typing in, "G.F.S. Olympus."

A low buzzing erupted from the speakers, and we all listened intently to a conversation going on in the vessel above us.

"Damage reports coming in." said a young man's voice. "We've lost 37% of the fleet. Half of the surviving ships are reporting heavy casualties."

"Sir we've confirmed the wormholes have disappeared. All the Leviathans are gone... the crisis is over!!" Another one said aloud.

"What about Samus?" I recognized Admiral Dane's scruffy voice. Anxiety built up in my chest, and I clenched the seat in worry.

"Negative, sir. No contact."

My heart sank, and I hung my head. "No..." I whispered. The Admiral didn't respond.

The ship went quiet, even Gandrayda seemed sad. Ghor put his arm on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rundas. I knew how much you liked her." I closed my eyes in sorrow.

Something whooshed past us, and we all jumped. **"It's Samus!! She's alive!!" **Gandrayda wrote.

I couldn't believe it. I looked up, then stood. "Are you serious?"

**"Yeah! Her ship just flew by!" **

A huge wave of relief washed over me, and I collapsed into the seat again. "Thank goodness," I breathed, leaning my head over the headrest of the chair.

**"She just gave Admiral Dane a thumbs up,"**

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from Samus's ship." a man said in the Olympus.

** "Mission complete!"** Gandrayda typed after she read the message. **"We did it!"**

I sat back up. "No, she did."

Ghor went back down in his seat, sighing. "I think our work here is done, guys. We did a crappy job." I laughed, and Gandrayda blared, **"Ha ha ha ha!"**

** "Wait, where's she going?"** Gandrayda wrote onscreen, the ship leaning forward slightly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

**"She's not staying with the fleet..."**

"Follow her! She has to know we're alive!"

**"Aye, aye, **_**sir**_**. Did you want drinks with that?"**

"No, we're good. Thanks for being so thoughtful, Gandrayda." I jeered, the spacecraft rushing forward again in pursuit of Samus's gunship.


	9. Chapter 9: The Loneliest Bounty Hunter

Samus landed on Elysia, where she docked her ship on an open ledge. We followed her down, Gandrayda making sure we were out of sensor distance so she wouldn't discover us. I protested, wanting desperately to let Samus know we were okay. But, I wasn't listened to.

We moored a distance away from Samus, Gandrayda returning to her normal, purple self again. She stretched and smiled, walking around. "That was an awesome flight, but terribly awkward."

Ghor looked at her, shuddering. "You have no idea."

They continued their conversation quietly as I walked to a half crumbled wall, peeking over it. Samus sat on the other side ten feet away, her suit on, but her helmet missing. Her ship was parked a few meters behind. I couldn't exactly see her face from the bright sunset, but I noticed her blond hair was pulled into a high pony tail. Her locks spilled from her head and down her armored back smoothly.

She seemed to be pondering, for she wasn't moving much. I felt elated yet sad at watching her. I was about to go around the wall and to her, but stopped as she looked down to her free arm.

A gruff, mechanical toned voice spoke, "Hey Samus, this is Admiral Dane. We'd like to congratulate you on saving the galaxy from Phazon. What you did was incredible! And, just to celebrate, the Galactic Federation is hosting a party on Olympus. If you wanted to come, we'd love it." He asked, Samus's long bangs blowing freely as the breeze passed by in a whisper.

"Sounds fun. I'd better get ready." Her voice was like velvet, and it sent shivers up my arms. She sounded like she was happy, but I could tell it was all an act for Dane.

"Great! We'll see you later! Admiral, out." His transmission was terminated once he thanked her.

Samus stood, turning and walking towards her ship. I ducked below the wall to be sure she didn't see me, though I'm not sure why I did. I peeked back above it, watching her press something on her wrist armor. The lip of the vessel lowered, and in a flash, her suit dematerialized. Underneath her orange plating was-

"Rundas!" Gandrayda fiercely grabbed my shoulder, tugging me away from the wall. "What are you, some sort of peeping Tom?"

I glared. "No!"

"Then what were you doing?" she forced.

"The Galactic Federation's having a party at the Olympus. Samus is going!" I responded. The gunship's engines revved up, and we all watched Samus fly away from Elysia's surface.

Ghor approached, "If we attend, then we'll be able to celebrate, _and_ show Samus we're alive!" A broad and thoughtful smile covered his robotic face as he stared at the shapeshifter. "Well? We need some way of getting back to Olympus."

He and I stared expectantly at Gandrayda, who rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if you're thinking I'm getting in a dress, forget it!" she morphed and changed till she transformed back into Noxus's vessel, opening the hatch for us again.

Ghor and I stepped inside, taking our old seats. Then the door closed, and we followed Samus back to the G.F.S. Olympus above Elysia, Bryyo, and Norion.


	10. Chapter 10: Reunited At Last

We arrived at the great ship a few minutes later, with Samus far ahead of us. She parked her fighter onto an air dock, where she emerged a few moments after with an oxygen helmet on. She turned her head around like she felt she was being watched, so Gandrayda sped to the left and out of sight.

Gandrayda landed a few docks away from Samus, morphing back to a woman again as we ran into the Olympus's halls. No GFED troopers were there to escort us. I figured they were already partying.

The three of us wandered the halls, trying to figure out where the celebration was being held. We ended up secretly following a few female workers, who were wearing fancy dresses that flowed like streams.

"They can't discover us!" Ghor whispered, placing a finger to his mechanical lips. Gandrayda stared at the women's bodies, snarling. "What ugly outfits..." she murmured, tagging along behind Ghor silently, her footsteps light. I however, had to really focus on keeping my flat, noisy feet quiet.

We walked behind the workers as they chatted happily, discussing that the mission that saved the galaxy was complete. Gandrayda smiled, then with a few quick pads after the women, she transformed herself into a normal human female. Her brown hair was cut short, and she wore a blindingly sparkling shift with no sleeves that was short enough to only reach to her kneecaps.

Gandrayda caught up to the pair. "Hey! Did I miss anything?" she said in a different tone of voice, more soprano and soft. A drastic change from her commanding and obnoxious tone.

"Oh no, not at all. We're just heading to the party." The one with red hair and green eyes said. "You could walk with us if you like."

"Great!" Gandrayda exclaimed, turning her head and winking at us with dull blue eyes. "Let's pick up the pace, girls! We just ridded the entire galaxy of Phazon! It's time to break out the wine and cheer!" she encouraged the women, who agreed and began jogging as fast as they could in their long frocks.

Ghor and I stared at each other. "She's quite a motivator, huh?" I said, the robot nodding.

"Do you think we should be dressed up as well? I feel... informal..." He muttered, staring down at his beat up mechanical body.

I snorted. "What would _I_ be able to fit into? A bow tie?" I motioned towards my spiked chest. "The only thing Phrygisians wear is armor."

Ghor shrugged. "Okay, let's get going, then." We kept the speed with Gandrayda and her 'girls', following them to a large conference-chamber-turned-party-room.

It was crowded with people, all the women in dresses, with the men wearing tuxedos or vests with slacks. A large table filled covered with food lined three of the four walls, and several bowls filled with ice and bottles of ale or wine sat at regular intervals. Music with a nice beat and rhythm was playing, and the lights were covered with different colored plastics that illuminated the crowd with all sorts of hues.

Ghor and I stopped at the end of the hall, watching Gandrayda enter the party room. I looked to him. "What kind of part is this?"

He shrugged. "I can't tell whether it's a dance party or a formal gathering..." He looked puzzled.

I looked deeper into the room, finding Samus. My heart dropped to my stomach and my palms became sweaty as I stared at her intense beauty:

Her shiny blond hair was braided, streaming over her back and down her arms till the loose end stopped at her hips. Her blue eyes were dazzling and her full lips were fixed in a line. A tight fitting, sapphire gown was on her petite body, showing off her many curves and skinny waist. Samus's arms were bare, and she was holding in her hand a glass partially filled with wine.

Surrounding her was Admiral Dane, a woman, and another man. Dane was talking to her with a smile on his face, completely opposing Samus's blank frown. I couldn't hear his words because of the loud music.

"She looks so sad..." I said to myself, seeing Ghor peer into the room as well. I walked forward and ducked under the room's door frame, standing high above the crowd. A few heads turned, shocked, and a few others did a double take.

I grabbed some guy's wine flask, holding it up and saying over the tunes, "A toast! To Samus Aran! Saviour of the galaxy!"

The music abruptly stopped, and all heads snapped in my direction. Samus's mouth opened in surprise when her eyes found me, and she dropped her wine to the floor in a shatter of glass.

She pushed through the multitude, some people letting her aside before she shoved them away. I kneeled when she came close to me, and wrapped my arms around her as she rushed into my chest.

"Rundas," she whispered in her smooth voice, which made me hold her tighter and close my eyes. I had to savor this moment. "Rundas, Rundas, Rundas." She couldn't stop saying my name, but as she repeated, her voice became choked as she started to cry.

Her tears streamed from her eyes, running down my chest and dripping to the floor. Samus stroked my neck, tracing random patterns as she checked to make sure I was actually there.

She pulled back suddenly, cheeks wet and her eyes puffy. "I thought you were dead." She said a little louder, her tone clearer than before. "I saw you get stabbed, you scream, and then Dark Samus-"

She kept talking, the words coming out of her mouth in a rush that everybody could hear. I pressed my smallest finger to her lips, hushing her. "It's all right, I'm back. You don't have to be sad anymore."

She smiled in relief. "This isn't a dream?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It's the real deal."

She smiled, her teeth perfectly white and straight. Samus looked around my shoulder to Ghor, getting up from my level and giving him a hug as well. He hesitated slightly before returning the gesture as well and sighed. "We missed you, Samus."

She nodded. "You have no idea." She turned and scanned the crowd with her eyes. "Gandrayda?"  In a purple spark, the girl appeared in her usual form, present herself before Samus. I was shocked that Gandrayda was the first to move forward and catch her friend in an embrace. "I'm sorry for all we did."

"It's all right. Now that Dark Samus and the Phazon is destroyed we have nothing to worry about." Samus stood before us, looking at Ghor, Gandrayda, and I with great happiness and relief.

I held up the wine glass again, Ghor and Gandrayda grabbing two for themselves as well. "A toast to Samus Aran! The greatest bounty hunter to ever exist!" I shouted, mugs and glasses rising from the crowd as they all said in unison, "To Samus!!"

Once the people drank their beverages, they began to clap. It was steady at first, but then it erupted into a huge roar that echoed off the walls, making it seem louder. Everyone was applauding, Samus's face brightening till no trace of sadness or exhaustion was left.

I stood and watched as the man choosing the songs to play fumbled with his CDs, finding the one he wanted. He ejected the one already inside the stereo, then slid in the new one and turned the volume dial to a higher level.

Speakers from overhead and around the room began to emit a downtempo, strings piece, which was soothing and beautiful. The groups of people split into couples, and began to slow dance back and forth with each other in sync with the music.

I looked to Samus. "May I have this dance?"

She smiled. "Of course," she curiously placed her small hands into mine, and stepped onto the main floor. People moved so we would meld in with the crowd. "You'll have to forgive me, Rundas, I've never danced before in my entire life..."

I chuckled. "That's okay. I haven't either." We both unsurely began to sway from side to side, smiling at each other.

I saw Gandrayda and Ghor swing past us, with Ghor's see through, mechanical cheeks tomato red. He seemed giddy as he held hands with Gandrayda, who seemed to be enjoying how he blushed. Or was it something else...

Samus giggled. "Those two always made me laugh."

"You should have seen them when we were gone. All they did was fight."

She laughed again. "Typical immature Gandrayda."

I thought I was getting pretty good at dancing, but right as my confidence was building, I stepped on the toe of Samus's shoe. When she pulled her leg back to shift her weight, her bare foot slipped out of the cyan stiletto.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, face flushing red from embarrassment. I bent over, reaching for the shoe.

Samus's head shot upward, her lips locking with mine.

**THE END**


End file.
